Saginaw Sting expecting to see Northern Kentucky River Monsters again in postseason

View full sizeSaginaw wide receiver Zac Nichols jumps up to catch a pass as Northern Kentucky defensive back Tez Morris readies his block during the UIFL game on Friday at the Dow Event Center in Saginaw.

SAGINAW — The Saginaw Sting players know how much fun Friday's back-and-forth, 63-58 win over the Northern Kentucky River Monsters at The Dow Event Center was for both the players and the fans.

Now, they'll spend the last three weeks of their regular season trying to ensure a possible playoff rematch would be played in Saginaw.

Friday's win left open the possibility that the first UIFL title game could be played at The Dow Event Center in mid-June. To make that happen, the Sting would likely need to win out their remaining games and get help from at least one of Northern Kentucky's remaining opponents, to jump into the top overall spot in the league standings.

"Hopefully somebody can help us out and knock them off so we can have the championship game here," Sting defensive lineman Michael Carter said.

Wherever that title game may be, all agreed that Friday's game had the feel of a championship game preview.

The game featured 12 lead changes, including two in the final two minutes. Sting quarterback Tommy Jones threw a touchdown pass to LaVaughn Macon with 12 seconds left to give the Sting the lead back.

River Monsters quarterback Jared Lorenzen drove his team to the Sting 10-yard-line, before Carter recorded a game-ending sack on the final play.

The game was punctuated by a gutsy performance by Lorenzen, the former New York Giants quarterback, who left the game midway through the third quarter, putting no weight on his left ankle.

He returned a quarter later, and threw a go-ahead touchdown pass with 1:50 left, hobbling on one leg and being helped by offensive lineman to get to the line of scrimmage.

"He went out there and tried to battle through it," Jones said. "I have a lot of respect for the guy."

"We're still in second, they're still in first," Sting coach Vince Leveille said. "But now our guys know that we can slay the giant."

The Sting have already secured their spot in the four-team UIFL playoffs. If the Canton Cougars can pull an upset over the Eastern Kentucky Drillers Sunday, the Sting will clinch a home playoff game, to be held on the weekend of June 3-4.

Otherwise, the Sting can clinch a home playoff game with a win at last-place Canton next week.

Yet no matter what the seeds end up being, all roads seem to lead to Saginaw and Northern Kentucky

"No disrespect to anyone else in the league, but I think we are the best two teams in the league," Carter said.

And, especially after how closely played their last two games have been, the teams are looking forward to matchup number three.

"It's something we both want," Jones said. "We both have three weeks left, and we're in the elite of the league, so we've just got to keep guys healthy and keep the momentum going and just see. It'll be fun."